ilff- LIBRARY |£^^ . ,;:-^n;^^:ilrl>V^ %><^,:]r;;t: «w-- 1 SF S573 1920 ~ McM F. W. KENDRICK a COMPANY 313 CARTER-COTTON BUILDING VANCOUVER. B. C. ;mfS' F. W. KENDRICK & COMPANY 313 CARTER-COTTON BUILDING VANCOUVER. B. C. 35 B73 920 cM 1 Vhe PROBLEM S O L V E 1) A guide — for both the experienced and the inexperienced poultry- breeder — to the hatching of every fertile egg with the most econo- mical outlay, and with least incidental trouble and expense. Published by the Proprietors of Hearson's Champion Incubators : SPRATT'S PATENT LIMITED, 24/5, Fenchurch Street, London, E.G. 3. West End Showrooms : 235, Regent Street, London, W. Sole proprietors of Hearson s "Champion" Poultry and Ostrich Incubators and Hearson's Foster- Mothers and Coal-burning Brooders request that the following notes and terms :: of business may be carefully noted. ::; NOTES. Unless otherwise ordered, Petroleum Lamps are sent with all Incubators, but when ordered for Gas, a set of fittings will be supplied in lieu of the Lamp without extra charge. Hearson's electrically heated Incubators are also supplied at the sa.ne price as the oil-burning models. Purchasers living more than 1,000 feet above sea level should advise us of the elevation so that the regulator can be adjusted and a special capsule fitted before despatching the apparatus. Intending purchasers are strongly advised to order the size which suits their requirements and not to purchase smaller Incubators with a view to experimenting. Only new goods are dealt in, and Incubators which have been used cannot be taken back nor taken in part exchange for larger sizes. No goods are sent out on trial, on loan, or on the hire-purchase system. Goods requiring alteration or repairing should be sent to the Works, Empson Street. Bromley-by-Bow, London, E., carnage being paid in advance and the sender's name being in every case enclosed, and to ensure prompt attention full particulars of what IS being despatched and what is required to be done should be sent in a communication addressed to : APPLIANCE DEPT., Spratt's Patent Limited, 24/5, Fenchurch Street, London, E.C. To avoid delay and cost, purchasers should remember to write their name and postal address, and name of railway and railway station very distinctly. All goods received should be carefully examined before the carrier's sheet is signed, as it has been held in the Courts that to sign " not examined " is insufficient to justify a later claim for damage or deficiency. It is especially urged that if a con- signee is not entirely satisfied that the contents are in good condition the sheet be signed " contents damaged." TERMS. All prices are nett for cash with order. Goods are (unless otherwise specified in price list) despatchea carriage forward, per Goods Train to the railway station nearest to the customer's address in England and Wales — unless specially desired — also to Glasgow and Edinburgh or any port in Ireland. Cheques should be made payable to Spratt's Patent L.imited and crossed " Coutts & (.o ' The Problem Solved. F INTRODUCTION. ORTY years ago the first Hearson's Incubator was made. 1 Since that time, In every part of the world, under every conceivable condition of climate and atmosphere, Hearson's Incubators have been demonstrating by hundred per cent, efficiency that the problem of hatching by artificial means is solved. Forty years ago the series of inventions incorporated in the Hearson's Incubator removed once and for all the difficulties which previously had been insurmount- able, and which had effectually prevented artificial incubation from being commercially utilized. Forty years ago the handbook which told of that series of inventions carried the title of "THE PROBLEM SOLVED"; in this present and considerably revised edition the same title is retained : — Hearson construction, principle, and operation are still the only solution of the problem of converting with maximum success healthy, fertile eggs into healthy rearable chicks. Hearson success has been responsible for innumerable imitators. Every hydro- tank incubator on the market is more or less a poor imitation of the Hearson's. In some — ostensibly to effect improvements, but actually to reduce manufacturing costs — valuable parts are suppressed ; in others — to overcome faults non-existent m the Hearson's — complications are added. Hearson simplicity and Hearson efficiency are inseparable. The one is the product of the other. There are no practical advantages derived from corrugated drawer bottoms, egg turners, insulated or shielded capsules, bent thermometers, self-filling lamps, and all other complicated devices often put forward as " improvements " ; all such detract from simplicity and decrease efficiency, in both of which the Hearson represents the highest attainable standard. Incubator purchase demands careful consideration. The " low-priced incubator ' is a high-priced incubator if it fails to hatch one healthy, fertile egg ; if it fails to provide for one embryo chick the ideal conditions which decide its subsequent rearabihty ; if it does not operate with one unvarying degree of reliability and dependability. Any purchaser is in a position to determine the comparative merits of any machines he has under consideration ; in a series of six questions he can impose a rigorous test : — How long has the incubator been manufactured ? What is its length of life and service ? Who are its users ? What is its record in their hands ? Who is its maker ? What is his record ? Side by side with any other incubator, submit the Hearson's to investigation on these lines. The closer the claims of the Hearson's are examined, the more established is its unique efficiency, the more obvious its outstanding econorny and durability. As already stated, the Hearson's has been manufactured now for forty years — years of continuous increase in favour and popularity. The average life of the machine is from twenty to twenty-five years — five times that of inferior makes ; many Hearson's models, m fact, made thirty years ago and used continually season after season, are still giving efficient and dependable service. And Hearson service is in a class of its own. The Hearson's hatches every fertile egg, provides without variation the perfect conditions which guarantee the maximum percentage of healthy, rearable chicks, performs its work at a minimum cost, and demands the minimum of time and attention in supervision. The number of Hearson type incubators at present in use is more than the total of all other kinds combined. Hearson users include some of the largest intensive poultry rearers in the world, and among them some who have discarded every other kind and augment their plant with Hearson's, and Hearson's oi ly. As to its record in their hands, the series of representative letters in the later pages of this book constitutes a weighty volume of evidence. Spratt's Patent Limited are the sole proprietors of the Hearson's Incubator ; its makers are Charles Hearson & Co., Ltd., known to every specialist in scientific research as the makers and designers of apparatus for chemical, bio- logical, and physiological research, apparatus which it is essential shall be of absolute accuracy. Into the construction of Hearson's Incubators — oil, gas, and electrically heated models — is put the same scientific skill and expert workman- ship which have made Hearson research apparatus known throughout the world for accuracy and delicacy ; in this fact lies the reason for the unvarying standard of reliability and dependability of the Hearson's Poultry Incubator. If your study of this book is serious, if you purpose buying an incubator and that the best obtainable, we ask you to weigh carefully what we claim for our machine. We believe that the more critical your attitude as a prospective purchaser, the more readily will you finally concede the absolute supremacy of the Hearson's Incubator. SPRATT'S PATENT LIMITED. I. — The Problem Stated. ^L LL the problems of incubation are not solved ; to the / \ scientist the embryo period offers a rich field for -^ ^ observation. Investigation, and speculation ; It pre- sents him with a series of tremendous problems In the nature, origin and development of life, but with these It Is not the purpose of this booklet to deal. " The Problem" of which we treat here Is that which confronts the inventor in his endeavour to devise artificial means of setting in motion, controlling, and bringing to its proper culmination the natural process which evolves a living bird from the germ spot of a fertile egg. That problem is solved ! Since the hen is the natural hatching agent, it is obvious that any artificial means adopted must depend for its effectiveness upon the degree of closeness with which it resembles the conditions she naturally and instinctively provides. What a perfect incubator should be and what it should do can, in fact, only be determined by a study of the conditions for which she is responsible. A knowledge of these must necessarily be the groundwork of any study of artificial incubation ; such knowledge must include the instinctive habits of the hen, discoverable by simple observation, as well as the precise effects she produces upon the eggs, which can only be determined by careful scientific test. The OBSERVER of the hen in a state of nature would note- That she usually makes her nest in the open air, though usually in the seclusion of a hedge or bush. That she sits continually on her eggs with the exception of a daily journey in search of food, during which period the eggs are fully exposed to the air and allowed to cool. That, after resuming her sitting, she shuffles the eggs about— every egg, after about a fortnight, being completely rotated. A little thought would lead the observer to the conclusion that fresh air, and application of heat over long periods interrupted by a daily cooling and turnmg, are incubation essentials. The SCIENTIST has definitely determined— That when seized with broodiness— actually a fever— the temperature of the hen rises from a normal of about 98° F. to about 104° F., although not infrequently the broody heat remains as low as 100° F. or reaches as high as 106° F. 5 That, whatever the temperature of the body of a hen in the broody state, it remains constant throughout the period. That this broody heat is not only ' moist itself, but draws further moisture from the ground to the extent of rendering the air around the eggs definitely humid. The breast feathers of the hen also exude a moist secretion which is applied by contact to the eggs. • That this moisture is absorbed through the porous shell of the egg, and not only plays an important part in the development of the embryo, but deter- mines the rearability of the chicks after hatching. That air also is absorbed through the shell, and that the embryo responds favourably or adversely as the atmosphere during hatching is pure or contaminated. Analysis of these facts — expressed tersely with a \'iew to simplicity — renders possible conclusions further to those which follow simple observation, i.e. : that the essentials of incubation are (a) the application of a constant and uniform temperature throughout the period of incubation rather than the application of any particular degree of heat, (b) a pure surrounding atmosphere, (c) moisture available for absorption, (d) a periodic cooling and turning. Leaving out of consideration the last two, which are simply a matter of withdrawing the eggs from the heat, it follows that — The perfect hatching machine must provide, and at all times maintain in the egg chamber a constant and uniform temperature, a constant and continuous supply of pure fresh air, and provide an ample amount of moisture ; and in devising a means to secure all these without variation is the problem of the incubator manufacturer ! Heat, moisture, and ventilation, as essential factors are all definitely related, and in the incubator must be in perfect balance. A heating system which dries all the moisture from the air or loads it with impurities is not less futile than a ventilation system which makes it impossible to maintain an even temperature or to provide the right degree of moisture. Failure to appreciate the necessity for this balance is responsible for most incubator failures. Attempts to cope wiih the question of heat regulation have alone been responsible for scores of patents, many of them quite plausible in theory, but totally useless in practice, because of their failure to take into account the equally important considerations of moisture and ventilation. It remained for the late Mr. Charles Edward Hearson to treat the problems of incubator construction collectively instead of individually, and to devise the system which, incorporated in the Hearson's Incubator, has made it possible for any man, woman, boy or girl to use artificial means of hatching, and to be certain of meeting with a degree of success not exceeded by the hen. II. — The Problem Solved. PROBLEMS for a long while baffling are often solved by approach from a new direction, Charles Hearson attacked his problem from a new angle. Instead of attemptmg to Improve on the efforts of earlier mventors and to devise means of forcing a particular temperature upon the egg chamber by means of outside regulation, he sought a way to place the egg chamber itself in complete control of the hatching conditions. His invention of the Hearson Thermostatic Capsule rendered this control possible, Hmlted it to the maintenance of ideal hatching conditions, and for the first time placed it within the power of the veriest novice to take up artificial incubation with the absolute assurance of success. The underlying principle of this invention is that of the expansion of liquids ■when vaporized by the application of heat. There is not one of our readers but is fully acquainted with the fact that w^hen water boils the vapour which results will occupy several hundred times more space than the liquid it came from, and that if boiled in a closed vessel, the sides will either distend (as they would if made of rubber), or the vessel will burst if not sufficiently strong to withstand the pressure of the steam. This enormous expansion at boiling-point is common to most liquids, and we can make a further generalisation that if the vapour be cooled it will return to its original liquid state and occupy its original space ; this heating and cooling, in fact, can be repeated incessantly and, providing the containing vessel is hermetically sealed, the quantity of liquid will always remain the same. This fact is put to practical use in the Hearson Thermostatic Capsule. Every liquid has a boiling-point of its own. The capsule is made by putting a quantity of a liquid (the particular boiling-point of which is about 100 F.) between two thin pieces of metal previously soldered together at their edges. The liquid in question is exceptionally volatile and the filling and hermetically sealing is an operation demanding the highest skill and experience. So long as the capsule is not subjected to sufficient heat to cause its contents to boil, it remains quite flat ; but immediately boiling-point is reached the vaporization inside compels the sides to distend. 7 How by the use of this capsule Hearson's Incubator can be set working at any desired temperature, how it guarantees the maintenance of that temperature without variation despite most extreme variations in outside temperature, and how its working is hnked up with the moisture and ventilation systems of the Hearson's Incubator — the perfect hatching machine — will be better understood after a study of the general construction of the machine as a whole. The illustration below represents a section of the incubator, showing how it would appear if cut through in a line with the lamp burner. AA Tank of water. BB Movahle egg tray. CC Water tray (see page 10). DDD Holes for Fresh Air. EE Ventilating holes. F Damper. G Lever. H Lead weight. KK Slips of wood. LLL Lamp chimney and flue pip M M M Non-conducting material. N Tank thermometer. O Needle for communicating the expansion of tl>e capsule S lo the lever G. P Milled-head screw. R Filling tuhe. S Thermostatic capsule. T Petroleum lamp. V Chimney for dischirve of surplus heat. Dealing first with the heating, it will be observed that the lamp T burns directly beneath the flue LL which passes through a tank of water AA occupy- ing the upper part of the box. What the section does not show is that the flue extends from right to left, forms a U at the left end, returns through the tank to extend the heating surface, and finally emerges in a turned-up portion immt^diately in the rear of chimney V. (This outlet of the flue can be clearly identified from a glance at the photograph of Hearson No. 6 Incubator on page 12.) The upper end of the chimney V is furnished with a plate of metal or damper F which, when resting on the top of the chimney, effectually prevents the escape of any heat in that direction, and compels it to pass through the flue ; on the other hand, when the damper is raised the heat takes the Hne of least resistance and passes directly upwards instead of through the flue. The damper controls the course of the heat ; the Hearson Thermostatic Capsule controls the damper ; and, in explanation of the connection between damper and capsule, part of the section diagram is enlarged and here reproduced. The capsule itself is seen in position on a small table fixed in the the egg drawer, and a " button " on its upper side accom- lower end of the stiff wire rod 0 ; this rod ascends through a channel specially JT^ G space above modates the constructed in the water tank, and connects with the lever near the pivot. Obviously, any ex- pansion of the capsule will force up the rod, and even a slight movement of the latter by being greatly multiplied at the extreme end of the lever, will raise the damper from the chimney. (Here it is necessary to observe that while liquids boil at different temperatures under normal conditions, if pressure is put on them their boiling is retarded ; so that greater heat is necessary to obtain a certain amount of expansion in a liquid under pressure than IS required to cause the same expansion in the same liquid in a free state.) The lead weight on the lever is movable ; by being moved to the right it increases the resistance of the lever to the upward movement of the rod ; this throws greater pressure upon the capsule, so that while the lead weight is at the extreme left, the capsule will expand under 100° F. of heat; the farther it is moved to the right, the higher the temperature required to push up the rod and to raise the damper. Within certain well-defined limits every operator has his own idea as to what constitutes the best hatching temperature ; the movable lead weight device enables the incubator to be set for working at the precise temperature desired. Enlarged Sectional Drawing, showing working of Wire O by Capsule S. Moisture and ventilation in the Hearson's Incubator are dependent on, and work in conjunction with, each other. The apertures D and E shown on the section drawing have each their special function. .Air can pass in only at the former, and out only at the latter. Immediately above the air inlets D and just beneath the egg drawer is the moisture apparatus, consisting of a water tray C and an inverted perforated zinc tray and a piece of coarse canvas, the position of the two latter being indicated by a dotted Ime. Though useful, a section has its limitations, and to give a clearer idea of this apparatus the three parts are reproduced by photograph. Tu w; -r Perforated ^Coarse Ihe Water 1 ray. i . j -r V Inverted 1 ray. Canvas. When in the incubator and arranged for working, the water tray is half-filled with water, in it stands the inverted perforated tray, and over the latter is laid the coarse canvas, its ends pushed into the water around the sides. Bearing in mind the foregoing details of construction, it is a matter of only a few moments' study to grasp the operation and self-regulation of the Hearson's Incubator. The principle is the same whether the oil, gas, or electric model IS considered, but for purposes of illustration, we assume to be dealing with the oil-burmng type. We also assume that the machine has been previously used, and the simple initial adjustment necessary when it is first received has been made. Our idea of the best hatching temperature is 104 F.; the lead weight on the lever is in the position which provides for this temperature in the egg chamber ; the damper is at rest on the chimney ; the lamp IS filled. 1. We fill the water tank with water not hotter than 120° F., and follow this by lightins; the petroleum lamp. The resultmg heat cannot pass out from the chimney, but is forced through the flue; it is taken up by the metal of the pipe, and passed on to the water. A portion of the heat finds its way out of the open extreme end. 2. The water in the tank continues to increase in temperature, and since the tank itself is insulated on top and at the sides by non-conducting material, all the heal from the water IS radiated downwards into the egg chamber. 3. The temperature of the egg chamber rises gradually until 104^^ F. is attained. However great the gas or oil flame, the temperature cannot rise more than a very small fraction of a degree above this point as, in point of fact, less than one-tenth of a degree more heat than is required will cause the capsule to expand, push up the rod and raise the damper. The heat then passes directly upwards and out of the chimney instead of through the Hue. As a consequence, this ceases to receive further heat, the egg chamber temperature subsides the iraction of a degree required to bring it to normal, the capsule collapses, the damper falls, and the heat is compelled to resume its original course. (Actually in practice the damper is constantly rising and falling between the top of the chimney and one-eighth of an inch above. If the flame is of the correct height, the damper should not rise more than thai distance. The damper, therefore, provides a reliable index of the heat required, as its rising more than an eighth-of-an-inch is proof that more gas or oil iH being burnt than is necessary, and the il.iiiie can be lowered until the most economical point IS reached.) 4. It is natural for air heated in a confined space to attempt to escape to mingle with the outside air of a lower temperature. As soon as the heat radiated downward from the water tank increases the temperature of the egg chamber above that of the outside air, a gentle current is set up towards and out of the ventilation apertures at front and back of the incubator. More air is dravm in to replace that passing out ; the incoming air can only enter at the inlet holes beneath the incubator ; when the egg chamber temperature reaches that required, there is a continuous stream of air passing in from beneath the machine and out from the apertures at the sides. The position, size, and number of the ventilation holes are adjusted according to the capacity of the machine ; in every model their arrangement is just what exhaustive experiment has proved to maintain a perfect air supply without injurious draught. 5. Air cein only enter the incubator by way of the Inlet holes ; hence every part of the continuous stream of ingoing stream of air is compelled to go through the raised centre-piece of the water tray and is deflected over the surface of the water. The current passes upwards through the perforations in the zinc inverted tray, and on through the water-saturated canvas. When it reaches the egg chamber, it is charged with the correct amount of moisture. Such, in brief, is Hearson operation and regulation. The system is so simple and direct that there is nothing to get out of order ; it IS so effective that once the lamp is lighted it is a matter of minutes only before the machine itself attains and commences to maintain a perfect hatching temperature, perfect ventilation, and perfect humidity ; it is physically impossible for there to be heat without ventilation, or ventilation without moisture. Every moment that eggs are in the Hearson's Incubator, they must be subjected to ideal hatching conditions. Hearson reliability and automatic regulation make it possible for the most inexperienced to take up incubation with 100 per cent, success. Sppatts Patent Ltd. THE exit; Supreme in its Hundred per cent. Efficiency. IN the construction of the Hearson's Incubator, every detail has been considered with a view to all-round economy, that is, to pro- vide maximum hatching efficiency over as long a period as possible, and to involve an absolute mini- mum of time, trouble, and expense. Every component is as strong and durable as conscientious and experienced workmanship and best materials can make it. The Framework. We have conclusively proved that well-seasoned yellow pine is super- ior to any hard woods for incuba- tor purposes, and yellow pine only is used in the framework of the Hearson's. Every piece is care- fully examined, selected, and passed for use by an expert. All joints are dovetailed and fitted by hand, ensuring rigidity and strength. The Panels. We employ stout three-ply wood throughout the panel work, this entirely obviates the slightest possibility of warping, shrinking, splitting, or other defect, due to the difference between the inter- nal and external temperatures. The Egg-Drawer is also made of finest yellow pine and, to ensure a perfect fitting, is made entirely by hand. The bot- tom is of perforated zinc which will not corrode under the action of the continuous stream of moisture. The Water Tank is made of best quality bright cold-roDcd copper plate. A special method of construction ensures freedom from all possibility of leakage and consequent troubles which are frequent causes of disaster where sheet iron or other cheap metals are employed. Insulation. The Water 1 ank is completely insulated on top and sides by tigiitly packed non-conducting material : this renders the water inside unaffected — except to a ncglli/ible degree by way of the therrnornelc'r channel — by changes in external temperature. HQarsorts ^^v Incubator Sole Proprietors Spratt's Patent Ltd. Model No. 6. T For 50 to 60 Hen or 90 Pheasant Eggs. HIS model — the smallest of the three Hearson Poultry Incubators — is especially suited to the requirements of the small rearer. It is sent out complete with : Glass-top drying box and zinc tray for newly-hatched chickens. Adjustable Drawer Bottoms for different sized eggs. New Patent Spring-Bottom Petroleum Lamp. Sensitive Drawer Thermometer with outside scale. Tank Thermometer for taking the water temperature. Funnel for filling the water tank. One extra Lamp Chimney. One yard of wick. Egg Testers for three sizes of eggs. Canvases for water tray and F.gg Drawer. All other requisites for the successful practice of artificial incubation, and A free copy of The Hearson Instruction Book, giving complete directions and instructions regard- ing the use and maintenance of tlie Inciiliator. I N .s 1 1) F. Measurement of E c c Drawer 14^ X 14] ins. For Fxporl Particulars, Sec pai'.c 48. 12 lor Price, see Separate List. Hearson'sl c.y^ ^P^J Incubator Sole Proprietors Spratt's Patent Ltd. Supreme in its Thirty - Year Durability. Model No. 11. O': O O O O o O *»4 '"^^^ imm:r» For 100 to 120 Hen or 180 Pheasant Eggs. THIS we find is the most popular Hearson's Model. It is more stoutly built than the No. 6 as its larger size demands, but is similarly fitted and is sent out with the same spare parts and requisites. Like the No. 6, this model is finished smooth and stained and var- nished : the brasswork is lacquered and will retain its brightness indefinitely. The Hearson's No. 1 1 Incubator is an essentially compact and convenient machine, and its continual increase in popularity is evidenced by a continual increase in the demand. When ordering please refer to Notes and Terms on page 2. Inside Measurement of Egg Drawer, 20 X 20 ins. The Lamp and Lantern. The Hearson Patent Spring- Bottom Petroleum Lamp is con- structed on a scientific principle which gives a clear, steady flame, and maximum heat with minimum oil consumption. Only the best and most durable materials are used. The lamp is provided with an opening in front which permits of an easy inspection of the flame. Both lamp and lantern are com- pletely fireproof. In General Strength of Construction, the Hearson's has no equal. Its average life ranges between twenty- five and thirty years, so that each season's use represents in equip- ment cost only about a fifth of that of inferior machines which, at most, will stand six seasons' use. When you buy a Hearson's, you lay out capital in an invest- ment which will bring maximum returns for more than twenty years. You are not committed to a continual expense in replacing parts. Everything necessary to commence artificial incubation is sent with the Incubator, except the eggs, water for the tank, and fuel for the lamp. For Export Particulars. sec page 48. For Price, see Separate List. 13 ' In every way perfect.' Lone Pine Dairy Farm, Shadoxhurst, .Ashford, Kent 3th July, 1920. Your Champion Incubator is in every way perfect. I knew that if I did the right thing towards the machine I had nothing to worry about — result : not one dead bird in the whole 1 10. I have one regret — that I did not have more of your machines this season. J. ARONDEL. Supreme in its Unvarying Reliability. Hearsoris]^^^ Incubator Sole Proprietors Spratt's Patent Ltd. AS the covering patents have expired, the great majority of the original Hearson inventions have, one by one, been adopted by other makers. In so far as pnnciple and design are con- cerned, the thermostatic capsule is no exception to this rule, and has been adopted by practically every other manufacturer. But there are capsules " and " Hearson capsules," and in efficiency there IS a vast difference between them. Though not now protected by Patent, the Hearson's Thermo- static Capsule IS still unique ; the precise contents, and methods of making, filling and sealing, are exclusive Hearson secrets ; we state positively that there is not another type of capsule which can approach the Hearson's in sensi- tiveness combined with strength, or in consistent accuracy over long periods and under most severe atmospheric conditions. The Hearson's Thermostatic Capsule is inseparably bound up with the supremacy of the Hearson's In- cubator : it makes it the one machine in which a uniform egg.- drawer tem^jerature can be maintained within one-tenth of a degree of variation during the whole process of incubation, or within three degrees during twelve months o( incessant use with abso- lutely no adjustment after the machine has once been started. Model No. 20. For 220 to 240 Hen or 360 Pheasant Eggs. THIS type, it will be noticed, differs from the two smaller models in being fitted with two egg drawers and two drawer thermometers ; it is even more substantially built than the No. 11. The Hearson's No. 20 Incubator is finished in the same way as the smaller models, and includes the same accessories and requisites. Where a machine is required with a large egg capacity, this size can be installed with absolute confidence that it will carry out its work with the highest efficiency and with the least trouble and expense. Inside Measurement of Ecc Drawers. 30 X 14 ins. For Export Particulars, see page 48. For Prices, see Separate List. HQarsoris Incubator Sole Proprietors Spratt's Patent Ltd. Supreme in its Automatic Adaptability. Excelsior Gas Valve. ^1^^ T ii;!i HE invention of this device for use with Gas introduces a method of maintaining an even temperature without the use of a damper and chimney, the latter being sealed up when this valve is employed. The fitting illustrated above is fixed in place of the ordinary pivot on the top of the incubator. It is so constructed that the gas passes through it en route to the burner. The operation of the capsule and needle- rod IS precisely the same as when oil is used, but instead of the rod being used to raise a damper, it cuts off the gas supply. A " bye-pass " is provided so that the flame cannot possibly be extinguished when the main supply is cut off. Although no previous knowledge is required to start it, this valve works with such certainty that the drawei temperature will not var>- two degrees in twelve months. One-tenth of a degree variation in the drawer is sufficient to cut the whole supply off. The Excelsior Valve can be fitted to all sizes of incubators by purchasers themselves or by us when definitely ordered for gas. Por Prices, see Separate List. THE Hearson's is the one incubator which permits of fitting a specially- made capsule for any height above sea-level. The Hearson's is intended for use wherever a purchaser desires to use it : unlike other types, it is not limited to working at sea-level. When the purchaser's altitude is communicated to us at the time ot ordering, wo fit an appropriate capsule guaranteed to give satis- factory operation. .-Xmong the letters in our possession is one from a user In Chumba (via Dal- housie), India. The writer encloses a record of the operation of our machine during 21 days, which is a remarkable document. The weather noted includes " oppres- sive atmosphere," " cloud and rain," " heavy thunderstorms, ' rain and cold wind, " " thunner and heavy rain " : an earthqiiaKO lasting a minute and a half is recorded, as also a variation in the room temperature of 12^^ and of the water in the tank 162° ; yet not once did the temperature of the egg drawer vary more than three- quarters of a degree from the desired normal of 104*^. Consider that Chumba is 3.300 feet above sea-level, and that the writer adds : " The machine gives the minimum of trouble ; the damping arrange- ment is perfect." and you will appreciate the automatic reliability and adaptability ol the Hearson's Incubator. The real value of Practical Testimonv. HoaPSorYsl Incubator Sole Proprietors Spratt's Patent Ltd. THROUGHOUT this booklet we state our claims for the Hear- son's " Champion Incubator in the plainest possible terms. There is no room for misunderstanding. We state positively that, provided our simple directions are followed, our machines will hatch out every healthy, fertile egg. This is a strong claim which every pro- spective purchaser is fully justified in wishing to see substantiated. The testimony of Hearson users is valuable. The opinion of a user is based wholly and solely on his estimate of value received for money spent. He has none of the bias which might induce a manu- facturer to exaggerate the merits of his product. The volume of testimony we insert here is, we believe, a section valuable to us and to you ; on the one hand, it vindicates our claims for the supremacy of the Hearson's In- cubator ; on the other hand, these actual experiences point out the way in which you can avoid disap- pointment and needless expense, and indicate the results you can with certainty anticipate when you " invest in a Hearson's." Only a minute part of the material avail- able can be inserted here — we have accordingly selected at random some of the letters received during the month in which this booklet is preparing for press, and some others specially interesting in view of the widely separated countries from which they are addressed. Gas Attachments. No. 1. No. 2. yV / HEN" gas Is available and the purchaser ' » prefers to use it, special gas fittings can be supplied to replace the petroleum lamp. While providing equally satisfactory heat- ing, the use of a gas fitting does away with the trimming of a wick and filling the lamp. We supply two types of gas fittings for the Hearson's Incubators. IVi'l 1 (illustrated above) is a simple gas standard, which will give perfect satisfaction where the gas pressure does not vary to any extent. This kind of fitting is supplied in lieu of the petroleum lamp when the incubator is ordered for use with gas without extra charge. ]V^ ') (illustrated above). Our Patent Gas Governor will ensure a steady flame of unvarying height even where the gas pressure fluctuates considerably. The milled head screw above the Governor enables the gas supply to be adjusted to a nicety, the governor itself automatically maintains a constant even pressure. The No. 2 Governor Attachment can be supplied separately or fitted in place of the petroleum lamp at a small extra charge. I' or Prices, when supplied separately, see Current List. 16 p5^iS£ i^^ „ Sole Proprietors Incubator P o s i t i V e 1 y Hatches Every Fertile Egg. Spratt's Patent Ltd. Electric Model. '««" Consistently. I HE Hearson's Electric Incubators are in ■^ principle the same, and in efficiency of opera- {Jlllllll tion the equal of the original oil-burning type. The internal construction is the same with the exception that a resistance-heater is introduced into the flue of the water tank. The heater is connected to a " make and break " switch on the top of the incubator, which is operated by an exten- sion lever projecting at the end opposite to the lead weight. When the capsule expands, this lever is depressed and breaks the electric contacts and so regulates the temperature. Heating is resumed when the capsule collapses and the contacts are remade. Models 6, 11, and 20 Z" ^."pp''^^_!°^ ^!^^^7 ' ' Heating. 1 he hourly consumption of electric current is extremely low ; for the 60-egg size, 20 watts ; 1 20-egg size, 60 watts ; and 240-egg size, 70 to 80 watts. For Export Particulars, see page 48. For Prices, see Separate List. 17 51, KiMBERLEY StREET, HOLLINWOOD. 3th July, 1920. Prior to enlisting in 1914, 1 used your make of Incubator with such good results that I felt I could not do better than go in for another when making a start again. I bought a No. 6, and had three hundred-per-cent. hatches. My birds are always fed on your chick feeds. VINCENT M. WOOD. 100^ First Hatch. 52, Bourne Road, Bexley, Kent. My son recently gave me one of your 60-egg incubators. No. 102/ 31846, and this is the result of my first attempt. I put in 60 eggs from my own fowls, 53 came off, the remaining 7 were unfertile. Mrs. MARSH. " Wild Ducks and Pheasants." Lyme Regis, Dorset. The Incubators and Foster- mothers have been a great success. This is my first attempt at hatching Pheasants and Wild Duck. I hatched about 400 Wild Duck with Incubators. Also reared them in Foster-mothers. Yours faithfully. 100«o First Hatch. 7, Greenfield Terrace, CWMBACH, AbERDARE. The No. 6 Incubator delivered to me last December has given splendid results. I hatched 56 chicks from 59 eggs, of which three were unfertile. I had never seen an incubator until I took this one from the crate. JOSEPH THOMAS. *' There is only one Incubator— Hearson's." iHearson'sL^-. -Prominent Cape Colony Ostrich Farmer. Incubator Sole Proprietors Spratt's Patent Ltd. For Ostrich Incubation. " Enthusiasm." BuRSTON, Norfolk. I have had splendid luck with your Incubators during the last few months, but I have broken all records to-day. The last 100-egg Incubator you sent me has just hatched out 107 beautiful chickens from 109 eggs. I am DELIGHTED with your machines and I am so pleased to get such excellent results as my " La Bresse " are such wonderful layers. I have just wired the result to " Chanticleer." Yours faithfully, (Signed) Mr.s. F. Onslow Piercy. Model No. 55. For 48 to 54 Ostrich or 400 Hen Eggs. 100% First Hatch. 4, Wear Terrace, Witton-le-Wear. S.O. 1 1th July. 1920. I had not worked an Incu- bator of any kind until I used yours. In the first hatch, I placed 55 eggs in the machine, 43 eggs hatched out, the remaining twelve were unfertile. R. W. Chapman. THE ease and certainty with which ostrich eggs can be hatched by the Hearson's Ostrich Incubators accounts for the presence of these machines on most of the South African Ostrich Farms. Hearson's Ostrich Incubators have played a prominent part in the recent development of this lucrative industry. ''Pl-i^ Mr* ^^ lVI/^/I<^I illustrated above is an ex- 1 lie lyU, ^.} itlUUCl tremely strong and stoutly built machine. It is sent out complete with spare parts and requisites, and a free copy of the standard treatise "Ostriches and Incubation." Inside measurements of drawer 36ins. x 21 ins. XV-i/^ Nrk ^'^ lV1/-k/J^l 's constructed to hold 12 1 lie lyU, .K) ItlUUCI Ostrich or 100 Hen Eggs. With the exception of the fact that it has no drying box, it resembles the No. 1 1 Poultry Incubator in size, stoutness of noanufacture. It is sent out complete with all accessories and requisites for immediate use. Inside measurements of drawer, 20ins. by 20ins. For Export Particulars, see page 48. 18 For Prices, see Separate Current List HearsorVsl •ended on the regulator. Yesterday morning, the 20th day, I looked for signs of ' Pipping ' and found one at 6 a.m. All day the crackling of shells continued, until at twelve midnight EVERY EGG had hatched — it was wonderful. Your machine has completely solved the moisture question, that bugbear of Incubation. Any novice could use your machine after reading your excellent treatise. I'm simply delighted to get 100 per cent, first shot. You claim that a Hearson will hatch every fertile egg ; I can support that claim. FRED W. SLATER. P.O. Box 31, Ng'aruawahia, Waikato, N.Z. Bulgaria - 100% First Hatch. I don't know whether my experience (being the first) was phenomenal or not — you will be better able to judge — but not having more than forty eggs at the time, I put them all in and started hatching. From the enclosed record you will see that the average drawer temperature was 104" Fahr., just the right temperature as the room was between 50" and 60' Fahr. I got out 33 chickens ; the other seven eggs were unfertile. To-day 1 put the young chicks into the Foster-mother, and they arcr evidently as much at home (if not more so) as they would l)c under natural circumstances. W. D. THOMPSON. Samakov, Bulgaria. Hearson's U-v Incubator Sole Proprietors Spratt's Patent Ltd. I ncubation Authorities R e c o m m end the Hearson's "A Marvellously Delicate Regulator." " The English Incubator which has attained the greatest amount of success is the ' Hearson,' and its widespread use in all parts of the world stamps it as an almost perfect machine. It is excel- lently designed and carefully made, with a marvellously delicate regulator well applied to the purpose in view. . . . Mr. Hearson must be complimented upon producing the simplest and best regulator used for this purpose." '-Poullry Keeping as an Industry. " Exquisitely Simple Regulation." " Mr. s machine hatched well — if breakages were avoided — in the hands of those who could master its complicated mechanism. It remained to devise a more simple regulator • ■ . which should work from the egg drawer, to attain the desired object. This has been attained by Mr. Hearson, in his incubator. The regulation is exquisitely simple and easily understood- -the incubator thus designed and regulated has hatched with almost unvarying regularity and success." — The lUustrnied Book of Poultry. *' A Deserved Favourite." " The Incubator (Hearson's) here figured is still a deserved favourite. . . . There can be no doubt that the success of Hearson's machine was greatly due to the simple and effective action of its capsule regulator " . . (After discussing numerous other regulators). "' As already hinted all these have generally disap- peared and there is no question that of all thermostats . . . Mr. Hearson's capsule is far the best. Its simplicity, permanence, and the definiteness of its zero-point under the same conditions, all make it superior." — The New Book of Poultry. " Made Uniformly Successful Results Possible." It must always be remembered that the greater number of hydro machines owe their design to the original Hearson. It was Charles E. Hearson's invention of the capsule regulator which made possible uniformly successful results in artificial incubation." — Incubators and Chicken Rennrs. *' Placed Hearson's a long way ahead." "... Charles Hearson patented the thermostatic capsule as described in another part of this book. This invention placed the heat of the incubator under perfect control in a simple and effective manner, overcame the chief difficulty of s machine, and placed Hearson's Tank Incubator ... a long way ahead of others in popularity." ' — Incubation — Natural and Artificial. For other descriptions and independent views of the Hearson s Incubator, we suggest reference to The Harmsworth Encyclo- peedia, "The Encyclopapdia of Poultry" (Vol. 1.) "Popular Poultry Keeping," " Incubators and their Management," " Suc- cessful Incubation and Brooding," South African Department of Agriculture Text Books, etc., etc. 23 BOTH by pen and word of mouth the foremost authorities pay tribute to the efficiency and reliability of the Hearson's Incu- bator. Fully 90 "o of special treatises, works of reference, and encyclopaedias which deal with in- cubation, treat at length of Hearson construction, illustrate its various devices in detail, and quote it as the standard machine. And if space permitted, instead of the few representative opinions given here, scores of pages could be devoted to expressions of genuine conviction (from experience of many typ)es in operation) that the Hearson's has no rival. We do not enter our machmes for competition at shows where awards are not made on actual hatching effi- ciency. Such competitions are valueless. But in efficiency tests the Hearson's has no close competitor. Mr. Edward Brown, F.L.S., probably the best known of British Poultry authorities, writes expressly on this point as follows : " As a result of my previous experience and observations made during my three years at the College Poultry Farm, Theale, I cannot speak too highly of Hearson's Cham- pion Incubator. It has given in each year the highest per- centage of hatching, whilst from its simplicity in operation, its absolute reliability of temF>era- ture, and the excellence of its construction, it is undoubtedly the best incubator on the market." You take no risk when you " invest in a Hearson's." The Importance of Foster - Mothering. WHEN the drying box has attended to the immediate warmth and comfort of the last chick hatched out the work of the incubator is finished and the " rearing " process commences. " Rearabihty " is a vital factor; it is only in the number of chickens brought through successfully to the pullet stage that the success of artificial methods can be gauged. As bearing on this point it can be justifiably claimed that the capacity of the Hearson's " Champion " Incubator for biingmg out healthy, virile, rearable chicks is not less than its efficiency in hatching every fertile egg ; but no degree of perfection in an incubator can make young chicks proof against errors in rearing or make them thrive when correct feeding, sanitary quarters, and proper protection against chills and damp are not given the attention their importance demands. Weakly chicks can, by sound rearing, be developed into healthy capable birds ; but neglect in rearing wiH see even the strongest chicks succumb to adverse conditions. The hen has been superseded as a hatching agent, because of her inabihty to hatch out chicks in the numbers modern intensive methods demand ; similarly, she has been superseded as a factor in rearing. The warmth, comfort, and shelter which her wmg would normally supply for small broods are provided for the large modern broods by rearing appliances — mechanical foster-mothers or brooders. Just as great care needs to be exercised in selecting a foster-mother or brooder as in selecting an incubator. A decision has first to be made as to whether the rearing is to be " indoor " or " outdoor." This will, of course, depend largely upon the facilities available. Indoor brooding is making great headway In the estimation of poultry keepers able to devote a room or shed to the purpose, but for those who have no such facilities, outdoor rearing is inevitable. Foster-mother and brooder construction is as much a specialized industry as incubator manufacture, and Hearson's have given it the attention it merits. In their respective classes, the types of apparatus described in the following pages represent the highest achievements of scientific construction. Every class of user has been studied — the outdoor rearer and the indoor rearer, the amateur with a few chicks only and the professional poultry breeder. Hearson's foster- mothers and brooders are made to accommodate twenty-five, fifty, one hundred, two hundred, five hundred, or a thousand chicks. Above all, the requirements of the chicks themselves have been closely studied and the construction of each model has been carried out in a way which prevents absolutely any other than the right rearing conditions. The Hearson's foster-mothers and brooders give a constant correct temperature, plenty of fresh air, opportunities for sufficient exercise without crowding and cramping, and complete protection against draughts, cold, damp, and chills. They take the risk out of rearing. 24 Hearsorisl m -Q Foster Mother Sole Proprietors Spratt's Patent Ltd. A Masterpiece of Construction — a paradise tor (_^J^1qJ^S— .) user's description. An Outdoor Rearer — for any number up to 50 Chickens. Reasons Why. IN Its " two-compartment" class the Hearson's " Champion " Foster-Mother has achieved as great success as an outdoor rearer for wmter or summer as the " Hydrothermic" m the " three-compartment" class. The chicks can be taken from the drying box of the incubator and placed in the care of this foster-mother with the absolute certainty that they will be given the right conditions of warmth, ventilation, and light, and opportunities for exercise, which are essential to the rearing of vigorous stock. Being heated by a water tank instead of hot air, the dormitory will remain warm for several hours if from any neglect the lamp goes out. The lamp is entirely windproof and will withstand any weather conditions. The Hearson's "Champion" Foster-MDther, is made in one size only (for 50 chickens) measuring 6ft. 6ins. X 2ft. 6ins. X 26ins. in height. It is sent out equipped with windproof lamp. Copper water tank, 2 feeding Troughs, and 2 Drinking Fountains. For Export particulars, See page 48. For Price, See Separate List 25 THERE is no lamp in the dormitory and conse- quently no fumes. The dormitory is sup- plied with fresh external air, which is heated before entering the chamber, in a way which absolutely precludes draughts. The temperature of the outer run can be graduated to the requirements of the weath-f by adding or removing one or more panes of glass. The lamp can be removed for filling and trimming, and the flame can be adjusted, without raising the dormitory lid, and consequently without dissipating the heat of that chamber. A feature of special convenience to the user is the ease by which, without assistance, one person can move the foster-mother to the new ground. Death takes hundreds of thousands of chicks each year before they re three weeks old. But it can't take them from a Hearson'« Foster- Mother. More Chickens at less cost and with less trouble The Hearson's Hydrothermic Foster - Mother Takes the chicks from the time they leave the Incubator, starts them on a vigorous career under conditions which provide every requirement for rapid growth and development, and gives complete protection against cold, draughts, and damp. Maintains the temjierature re- quired in Winter or Summer, and permits of continuous air exchange in each compartment in a way which entirely excludes draught. Is made by experienced workmen from the finest and most durable materials. It is constructed for convenience and accessibility when in use, and to occupy the smallest possible space when not being operated. Is made in four sizes — for 25, 50, 100 and 200 chickens. E^ch model represents the highest standard of simplicity, security and satisfaction with the least possible outlay. " Severe Weather but no Chicks Lost .' ' I hr.ve had in use since January one of your " Champion " Incu- bators, hatching every fertile egg ; the Foster-mother was out in all the severe weather, and I never lost a chick. My book of instructions dates back to 1884. so please send me a copy of the latest edition. I bought my incubator from a (riend; it is a marvel — no trouble what- ever. All through the bad weather it never varied a part of a degree The Foster-mother is also a mar- vel ! It costs id. a day for oil. F. MALE. Meadow Gjttage, WiiiTMfxjR Vale, Churt. Surrey. Heapson's X'H^ -orot" e^ri-'^ m FostQP Mother ( Sole Proprietors Spratt's Patent Ltd. An Outdoor Rearer. For Winter or Summer Use. For 25, 50, 100, or 200 Chickens. THE Hearson's Hydrothermic Foster-Mother consists of three chambers — a sleepmg compartment, a glass-covered run, and a wire- covered run. The dormitory is heated by radiation from a hot-water tank in the upper part, which, by means of a circulating flue (similar to that in the Hearson's Incubator), receives its heat from a petroleum lamp burning in a windproof lantern at the rear. This system of heating maintains a constant and equable temperature in the dormitory, with the added security that if from neglect the lamp is allowed to go out the tank will continue to give off its heat and keep the chamber warm for several hours. No " hot-air " foster-mother can afford this security. The whole apparatus can be taken apart and put together in a few minutes without using workmen's tools. Packed up it occupies very little space. Fitted with specially-constructed low-consumption petroleum lamp, giving maximum heating with minimum fuel consumption. 26 HQapson's \ For 25 Chickens. • Measuring about i^O. D 5ft lOin. by 1ft. 8in. Complete with windproof lamp, 2 feeding troughs, 2 drinking foun- tains, fitted with copper tank. IVri 7 ^^^ ^^ Chickens. Measuring about * 8ft. by 2ft, 6ins. Complete with wind- proof lamp, 3 feeding troughs, 3 drinking fountains, fitted with copper tank. "lY A 1> For 100 Chickens. Measuring about lyO. ID lift 2ins. by 3ft. 7ins. Complete with windproof lamp, 6 feeding troughs, 6 drinking foun- tains, fitted with copper tank. "]^ 0 4 For 200 Chickens. Measuring about LyO. Z 1 i^ft ^y 5ft Complete with windproof lamp, 12 feeding troughs, 12 drinking fountains, fitted with copper tank. Packed without crates for inland transit. For Export Particulars, When Ordering, please see page 48. note terms on page 2. Full instructions as to use and maintenance are contained m " The Hearson Instruction Boole " sent out with each Foster-Mother. 27 Eliminates Losses : saves Disappointment Practical Conveniences and Advantages. To prevent undue loss of heat from one compartment to another, and to graduate the temperature, cur- tams are hung around the openings between the dormitory and glass- covered run. The hot-water tank is easily filled by means of a tube provided in the ridge of the roof of the dor- mitory, and as easily emptied by a screw plug or cock on the right side of the lantern. Access to the dormitory interior can be obtained by opening the doors at the ends. The floor can be taken out at either end. When both doors are opened, the interior IS quite clear and can be swept right through. The glass run has a movable wood floor in two parts, permitting easy removal of half or all as required. The glass roof is secured without putty, and can all be removed or replaced in a few minutes. The wire run is fitted with one fixed and two hinged frames covered with wire netting. When open, easy access is given to the interior ; when closed, the chick- ens are completely protected from molestation by bird or beast. By merely closing the doors which connect each compartment, the chickens can be confined to any particular part desired by the operator. Revolutionises Chick-rearing methods and creates new standards of Efficiency. :: :: The Hearson Coal- Burning Brooder ^ Halves the cost of equipment a.Tid operation. II Enables any poultry keeper to rear 1,000 chicks with no more trouble tlian it formerly took to rear 100. ^1 Provides a constant, correct temperature, a constant supply of pure fresh air, plenty of exercise, and no possibility of crowding — all essential to the chicks' welfare — with such automatic regularity that all the common disadvantages of other brooders are eliminated. 11 Burns either hard or soft coal at a cost of a few pence only a day. 11 Requires no more attention than IS required for one oil lamp. Absolutely the only attention it requires is to be filled with coal once a day and the ashes shaken down twice a day. 11 Can be operated in any room and in any tem- perature. 11 Will care for the chicks from the lime they leave the incubator until they are ready for the laying house, and whether with one hundred, five hundred, or a thousand chicks, will give the same unvarying satisfaction. 1; Is absolutely self-regulating in every detail ; recjuires less atten- tion than any other brooder of its capacity ever designed, and is so simple in its action that it cannot f(> wrong. ^^ Hearson w COM^ B' ,uv^ Brooder! Sole Proprietors Spratt's Patent Ltd. The Supreme Indoor ii Rearer. Feeds and Regulates itself : Rears from 1(K) to 1,000 Chicks : Costs only a few pence a day. \X/ ^^^ ^^^ introduction of the Hearson Coal- Burning Brooder, it is no exaggeration to Ullllllllllll claim that a new era in chicken rearing com- menced. This apparatus is so far in advance of anything previously attempted on similar lines, and its operation is so positive, that it permits of a standard of efficiency, combined with economy, which has never previously been attained. The truth of this statement will be better appreciated after a glance down the column to the left. It is the very simphcily of the Hearson Coal-Burning Brooder that makes its efficiency possible. There are no complicated devices to get out of order and to reduce dependability. T here is no useless metal incorporated to add to cost. Consisting only of n lew simple parts, the Hearson Coal-Burninp Brooder accomplishes with never-failing terlninty what more complicated appliances fail to do. P^Hearson^ig^ Brooder £>oIe Proprietors Spratt's Patent Ltd. Shateing the absolute simplicity of the construction of the Hear son Stove. A'o complicateJ parts. Nothing that can possibly gel out of order. THE present combination of parts, and the relation between them, were only arrived at and definitely settled after an exhaustive series of experiments. The size and design of the stove, the method of regulation, the style of grate, the size and design of the hover, work m such complete harmony with each other that, after the initial adjustments have been made, the brooder requires absolutely no attention apart from the supplying of coal and the removal of ashes. No special adjustments are required under any circumstances : there is only one adjustment nut which needs to be set once only, and that at the beginning of the season. A boy or girl can give the brooder absolutely all the attention it requires. Shaking down the ashes and fillmg the stove with fuel are simple matters demand- ing a few moments only. To shake down the ashes or to coal the fire it is not necessary to disturb the hover : the coal is poured in through the top of the stove ; the ashes are shaken down and removed through the convenient door in the hover. The latter is not fixed permanently to the top of the stove, however, but may be easily raised to a convenient height for cleaning and other purposes. ,29 Strength of Construction, Simplicity, and absolute Self- regulation make it supreme. :: The Stove is a special design built especially for brooding purposes : made of highest quality grey iron castings, all bolted or screwed together. The only movable parts of the stove are the door to the ashpit, the lid to the feeder-hold, and the regulating capsules. These are all made to fit securely into place so that nothing can get out of shape or out of order. This stove is built to last a lifetime, and cannot wear out. The Grate. One of the most vital and exclusive features of the Hearson Coal- Burning Brooder is the grate. It is of the rocker furnace type, and so constructed that it is absolutely impossible for the coal and ashes to " bridge " or clog. When shaken down," the edges of the grate turn up and strike the clinkers and ashes on four different lines — so widely separated that they must break and fall to the ashpit below. The grate is provided with plenty of outside clearance, so that the coal must always rest on the grate and never outside of it. This con- struction of grate is an exclusive feature of the Hearson Coal- Burning Brooder, and positively prevents the fire from going out as long as there is a pound of coal to bum. There are no bolts or nuts used in the construction of the standard grate. E!ach part is a solid casting that cannot get out of order, rust, or burn out. "Coal Once — Ashes Twice'' completely sums up the daily routine of maintenance. :: The Hover is so constructed as to throw the heat from the stove evenly over the backs of the chicks. The chicks are warmed exclusively by radiated heat, and the remarkable success of the Hearson Coal-Burning Brooder is greatly due to the exclusive design of the hover and its close relationship to the special design of the stove. As we have previously indicated, this relationship is the outcome of exhaustive experiment. The slightest change in the design of either would certainly reduce to a considerable extent the efficiency of the brooder, probably entirely spoil it, as the present combination compels the heat radiated to strike the chicks at the proper angle. This is a Hearson feature, and a big factor in its wonderful efficiency. Self-Regulation. The Hearson Brooder is self regu- lating, so that instead of having to turn a number of lamp flames higher or lower according to weather conditions, it is necessary only to adjust the regulator at the begin- ning of the brooding season : it need not again be touched till the season is over. Once adjusted the regulator keeps the heat at the precise temperature required re- gardless of weather changes. Hearson Brooder Sole Proprietors Spratt" s Patent Ltd. Shotving arrangement for raising the hover when it is required io sweep the floor. (~^ AREFUL investigation and experiment have resulted," says "The Field" — in lllllll'll its report of the Hearson Coal-Burning Brooder set out at length overleaf — " in greatly increased efficiency combined with greater simplicity in construction and ease of management. And the safety of this brooder is as great as its sim- plicity : it is completely fireproof ; it cannot possibly set anything on fire ; it will not increase the cost of insurance on any building in which it may be put. Any kind of fuel can be used. The difficulty of obtaining any particular kind of fuel is not an obstacle to installing a Hearson Coal-Burning Brooder. After a long series of experiments, we have not discovered a fuel which will not operate the stove satisfactorily. Hard coal has many advantages —for one thing it is cleaner than other kinds, and for this reason we recommend it— nevertheless, except for requiring a more frequent clearing of the flue, we have found soft coal, coke, charcoal, and briquettes just as satisfactory as anthracite. Whatever the kind of fuel used, we recommend " nut sizes. 30 Hearson uv^ Brooder Sole Proprietors Spratt's Patent Ltd. Showing the convenient method of shaking down or removing the ash pan. It is- un- necessary to disturb the hover. w HETHER there are ten chicks or ten hundred under the hover at one time the results are the same. At any time the number of chicks beneath the hover can be reduced or increased (up to capacity) without altering in the slightest degree the ideal conditions the Hearson Coal-Burning Brooder provides. Chilling IS impossible. The brooder not only provides a definite correct temperature under the hover ; it also prevents the brooder- house from chilling. Nothing is more injurious to a chick than a chill. It has been established beyond doubt that the same temperature is not the best for each euid every chick ; some require more or less warmth than others. Under the conditions the Hearson Coal- Buming Brooder makes possible, the comfort of each chick is assured ; if it needs more warmth it moves closer to the stove, if less, farther away ; each follows its natural inclination — and nature seldom errs. Pure fresh air is provided at all times. There are absolutely no gases or fumes arising from the stove. The smoke pipe leading from the firepot is always open, and consequently every particle of smoke or gas is immediately carried away. 31 An absolute guarantee of the right con- ditions for rearing healthy Chicks. The Regulator. The regulator supplied with the Hearson Brooder is the simplest, most powerful, and most positive device ever used on a brooder. It not only controls the tempera- ture under the hover, but at the same time ensures a continuous fire in the stove as long as there is a pound of coal to burn. Only by the ingenious mechanism of the Hearson (which regulates the burning of the coal without closing the smoke pipe) can this be achieved : this feature is exclusive to this type of Coal-Burning Brooder. Self Feeding. The stove is filled with coal onse a day, and requires no further attention to keep it burning, ns the coal automatically feeds the fire until it is entirely burned out. One filling of coal lasts a Hearson Brooder for more than twenty-four hours in any weather. There is no possible chance of the stove going out under the most adverse weather conditions. The coal consumption naturally varies according to outside tem- perature, but even in freezing weather the consumption is not more than a few pence worth a day. This economiceil consumption is only rendered possible by the special design of the stove, which provides a higher heat-radiating power from every pound of coal than can possibly be obtained with a stove of any other design. ' * T h i s most modern method of Chicken Raising.'' THE I- 1 ELD. me Hearson COAA^ BU^ \® ^ Brooder Sole Proprietors Spratt's Patent Ltd. OULTRY breeders were, for a long time, confronted with the difficulty that arti- ficial methods of rearmg were, very generally, less satisfactory in the results than those obtainable in the use of mechanical incubators. There were various reasons for this, in- cluding defective construction and an imperfect knowledge of the requirements of the newly-hatched and growing chickens. But whilst experience has been dearly bought, careful investigation and experi- ment have gradually resulted in the greatly-increased efficiency of these appliances, combined with a much greater simplicity in con- struction and ease of management. The difficulty of heat regulation, for example, would appear to have been overcome in such an appliance as the recently-introduced Hearson Gaal-Burning Brooder, which con- sists simply of a self-regulating stove and hover, which may be set on the floor of any suitable build- ing and operated independently of any special form of structure. " The hover system, of which this appliance is an excellent specimen, IS gaining rapidly in popularity, because of its adaptability to such a variety of circumstances. There are so many suitable sheds, farm buildings, or even rooms, in which a stove and hover may be used to advantage, whilst considerable saving is effected by obviating the necessity for a sf>ecially-made structure. Such an appliance could very well be used upon the floor of a roomy, well-made field or colony house, and it is m any case probable that the way of economy and greatly-increased production will be found by the adoption of this most modern method of chicken raising." I in. EI 1:1.1). Sectional view of the Hearson Coal-Burning Brooder. It emphasises the remarkable sim- plicitv of design that makes it undoubtedly the most efficient Brooder ever invented. ' I * HE purity of the atmosphere provided for •*• young chicks is of the utmost importance. II III I III It determines the degree of their growth, health, and vigour. The capacity of the Hearson Coal-Burning Brooder for maintaining a perfect temperature, and for economical operation, would count for nothing if it did not provide for an atmosphere of absolute purity. It does provide such an atmosphere, and because of this the chicks reared beneath it will develop greater vitality and grow more rapidly than under any other conditions. The automatic action of the draught on the stove provides a con- tinuous fresh air supply. As all the air passing through the stove is drawn in at the bottom, the atmosphere under the hover is con- tinually changing. Actual test proves the atmosphere under the hover to undergo complete change every fifteen minutes. As a further guarantee of a pure atmosphere, there is an opening at the top of the hover which passes off immediately any foul air arising from the chicks themselves. Successful hatching demands successful rearing : what the Hearson's Incubator will hatch the Hearson Coal -burning Brooder will rear— it will rear them all. J2 FTlearson du^ Brooder Sole Proprietors Spratt's Patent Ltd. MADE IN TWO SIZES TO FOLLOWING SPECIFICATIONS Model No. 1. STOVE. — Solid grey iron castings throughout. Height of stove, 20} ins. Diameter of stove, 10| ins. Diameter of base. Hi ins. Fireproof base, 7 ins. high, with corrugated asbestos pad attached to lower plate, and I -in. air space between asbestos pad and floor. GRATES. — Rocker furnace type made of solid castmgs. Outside clearance. Free burnmg. Self-cleanmg and anti-clog. Diameter, 7i ins. CHECK VALVE. — Hung on knife-edge bearings opening out- ward, thereby producing inward suction from outside atmosphere pressure. REGULATOR. — Two double disc thermostats — tandem hitched — supported on substantial casting that is bolted solidly to stove. Lower arm movable and attached to check valve by substantial iron rod. Chick-proof, accurate and positive. HOVER. — Galvanized steel mounted on a substantial ring casting that rests on the top of stove. Moulded to fit and cannot be displaced. Hover is 42 ins. in diameter and removable. Furnished complete with rope and pulleys for quick attachment. CAPACITY. — Any number of newly-hatched chicks up to 500. NETT WEIGHT, 70 lbs. Model No. 2. STOVE. — Solid grey iron castings throughout. Height of stove, 22^ ins. Diameter of stove, 12 ins. Diameter of base, 11^ ins. Fireproof base, 7 ins. high, with corrugated asbestos pad attached to lower plate, and 1-in. air space between asbestos pad and floor. GRATES. — Rocker furnace type made of solid castings. Outside clearance. Free burning. Self-cleaning and anti-clog. Diameter, 9 ins. CHECK VALVE. — Hung on knife-edge bearings ofjening out- ward, thereby producing inward suction from outside atmosphere pressure. REGULATOR. — Two double disc thermostats — tandem hitched — stipported on substantial casting that is bolted solidly to stove. Lower arm movable and attached to check valve by substantial iron rod. Chick-proof, accurate and positive. HOVER. — Galvanized steel mounted on a substantial ring casting that rests on the top of stove. Moulded to fit and cannot be displaced. Hover is 52 ins. in diameter and removable. Furnished complete with rope and pulleys for quick attachment. CAPACITY. — Any number of newly hatched chicks up to 1,000. NETT WEIGHT, 90 lbs. Practical :: :: Opinions of Practical :: :: Poultry Keepers "Merits Underrated." Derby House Poultry Farm, WiLMSLOw, Ches. 4th July, 1920. The Hearson Coal-Burning Brooder was worth waiting for : it has given me the utmost satisfac- tion in every respect. I think you underrate its merits rather than otherwise. W. E. DAWSON (N.U.P.S.) "Most Satisfactory." Hemingfield, Barnsley. 3rd July, 1920. The Hearson Coal - Burning. Brooder is the most satisfactory brooding apparatus I have yet tried. HENRY SCHOFIELD. "Great Labour Saver." Dale Poultry Farm, Lawshall, Bury St. Edmunds. 13th July, 1920. The new Coal-Burning Brooder recently supplied by you is a deci- ded success for rearing chicks from the shell in large numbers. We have installed it in a new specially- built brooder house with concrete floor littered with peat moss. The chicks are doing remarkably well. It is far more efficient than the old oil-lamp heated brooders or the hot water pipe system. The Hear- son Coal-Burning Brooder way is ideal — it radiates the heat on to just the place where it is wanted. It IS a great saver of labour. PERKINS BROTHERS. For Elxport Particulars, see page 48. For Prices, see Separate Current List. : : : Complete Satisfaction AVONMERE, NeTLEV. 5th July. 1920. I am pleased to say the Hearson Coal-Burning Brooder has given me complete satisfaction. D. D. PLUNKETT. More Reports from Hearson's Enthusiasts. :: :: "No Dead in Shell." Waltham, Melton Mowbray. 2nd July, 1920. Have had splendid results from the " Champion " Incubator 1 bought from you. From 200 eggs I had 1 70 strong chicks, no dead in shell, the others clear and addled. I have another Hearsons I bought last year second-hand, which is also no trouble and works excellently. I consider your machines the best on the market. ETHEL M. .M^NOLD. "Hearson's before any other." The Glebe Farm, Wheldrake, near York. July 8th. 1920. I put goose eggs m first time, and all fertile eggs hatched out strong and well. Tlie second time I set hen eggs with the same result. I would recommend the Hearson before any other in- cubator. I had one of another make, and sold it to replace with yours. I have now two No. 6 Hearson Incubators and both are to be thoroughly relied upon. (Mrs.) E. G. LEAF. "Emergency Success" Memorial Hospital, P.O. Box 31, BULAWAYO. It will interest you to learn that last .'^unday I got 44 chickens out of 45 fertile eggs from the Hearson Machine. This isn't exactly what is stated on the cover of " The Problem Solved," but it is quite near enough for this amateur. This result was quite unexpected as a hen having deserted her eggs 1 had to put them in the incubator — put them on top of eggs already m and keep machine shut up until the extra eijgs hatched. Yours faithfully, H. W. Garbutt. The Hearsons TWO-CHAMBER COLD-BROODER (See page 42 — Practical Rearing). For 25, 30, 100 or 200 Chicks. I ^ HE Cold Brooder illustrated here is excep- •*• tionally well constructed both in design {lllljll! and materials. One chamber serves as a sleeping compartment and is protected above by thick non-conducting material to prevent loss of heat, the other is covered with glass to afford shelter when the brooder is out of doors in inclement weather. The Hearson's Cold Brooder may be used either m an open shed, or out of doors, or may be shifted morning and night from one place to another as circumstances require. 1 he Hearson's Cold Brooder is made m lour sizes : — No. 25 ( 25 Chicks), measuring 2fl. 3ins.x 2ft. 3ins. ■ I2ins. high No. 50 (50 ., ) „ 3ft. 3ft. X 14ins. high. No. 100 (100 „ ) ., 4fl.3ins.x4ft.3ins.xl6ins. high No. 200 (200 „ ) .. 6ft. A 6ft. I Sins. high. For Prices, sec Separate List. COLD BROODER Preponderance WITH RUN of Successful Hatchings. :: SINESS WORLD. RECISTEREO OESICi In one size — for 50 Chicks. THIS design of Cold Brooder has earned high opinions from outdoor rearers everywhere. IJIIIIIII It has inner walls, all movable, and a false bottom covered with cork flooring which, besides being warm, permits of easy cleaning and washing and the removal of all smell. The inner lid is so arranged for ventilation that there is no draught. The double glass window at the side gives ventilation when desired in addition to light. This Brooder is constructed of stout framing covered with well- sensoned, tongued and grooved matchboards. The outside is painted three coats of best oil colour : the roof is covered with stronc waterproof felt. Made in one size only — fnr 50 chickens. Measurements ... 3ft. 6in3. long, 2fl. bins. wide. 2ft. 6ins. high. The Run IS 3 feet wide X 2 feet deep. For Price, see Separate List. " Reference has been made to Hcarson's Incubator as being now included among the specialities of Spratt's Patent Limited. This IS, of course, the celebrated apparatus devised by Mr. Chas. E. Hearson, and with which the public has long been familiar. Thousands of Londoners and visitors to London have seen it in the windows of the well-knowji shop at 235, Regent Street, where its remarkable incubating powers are in constant process of demon- stration. Hearson's " Champion ' Incubator (to give it its full title), numbers among its distinctive features the Hearson thermostatic capsule, whereby the inventor solved the crucial problem of preventing overheating in the egg- drawer. It is to this clever device that the " Champion " owes that preponderance of successful hatchings that has justified its title. The fame of the apparatus has spread everywhere, and- it is used by the leading poultry- breeders throughout the world." —THE BUSIXES:i WORLD. Showing a portion of Brooder House and Runs at Messrs. William Cook & Sotis' Poultry Farm at St. Mary Cray, Kent. PRACTICAL TESTIMONY OF THE VERY HIGHEST ORDER THERE is no doubt that Messrs. William Cook & Sons — ' the originators of the Orpington fowls and ducks — are the best known poultry farmers in the world, and their opinion on all poultry matters commands the highest attention. Their opinion of the Hearson's Incubators, which they have used consistently for many years, and the Hearson's Coal- Burning Brooders, they state in the most enthusiastic terms. This IS what they write REGARDING HEARSON'S CHAMPION INCUBATORS: " During the last few years we have frequently expressed our satisfaction at the results obtained, but, having this season devoted more attention to artificial hatching than hitherto, we consider it only right to let you know that the whole of the 120 Hearson's Machines which you have supplied have given us record hatches month after month. We feel it a pleasure to testify to the excellence of Hearson's Incubators. ' And Messrs. Cook write REGARDING HEARSON COAL - BURNING BROODERS : ** We have found the 12 Hearson Coal-Burning Brooder Stoves supplied to us last Spring most successful. We have reared up to 700 birds round each stove, and are fully satisfied that with right feeding this system is really effective. The movable hover is a great improvement on all other Anthracite Stoves, and has enabled us to use our brooding chambers (which measure 13 feet square), for birds up to the age of three months with great success. Our Brooder House has for several periods this season housed 12,000 chickens, and it has been a sight much appreciated by the many visitors to our farm from all parts of the world." Messrs. William (]ook & Sons' experience is just the experience of every Hearson Apparatus user, but on a larger scale. When you install a Hear- son's Incubator, a Hearson's Foster-Mother, or a Hearson's Coal-Burning Brooder, you take the short and direct road to success. 36 Practical Rearing. THE chipping of the shells about twelve hours before the actual emergence will give you ample notice what to expect the next time you go to the drawer, and instead of opening it only far enough to see all the eggs, you will do well to pull it quite out, because when it begins to open the stronger chickens run away from the light, and occasionally jump over the back of the drawer. Any chick found in the stage illustrated on page 1 1 should be left for the next visit ; but those which are fairly out of their shells should be trans- ferred to the drying box, the zinc tray of which you will have previously littered with hay, peat moss, or other absorbent material. When only a few birds are in the drying box the lid may be quite closed ; but if you have a great many at one time, you will require to raise the glass from 5 to | of an inch, at discretion, to admit more air than would pass in or out at the ventila- ting holes. To moderate the light in this apparatus and prevent loss of heat by radiation, cover a part of the glass with a piece of flannel or any old rag which comes to hand. In about three or four hours the chickens will have dried off and assumed their downy appearance. Carefully avoid the use of felt as a feeding-ground for young chickens, as also any corner of a yard in which carpets are beaten. The loss of a great many chickens has been traced by us to their having swallowed, along with their food, fragments of hair and wool from these fabrics ; in one case, a whole brood was lost through being fed for the first time on food placed on a piece of cow-hair boiler felt. In every case, a compact mass of cow hair completely stopped the entrance to the gizzard, and the birds died of starvation, notwithstand- ing that their crops were full of food. When chickens are coming out, the drawer may be opened every six hours, or even oftener, if there be much excitement in it ; and by then removing the fully- hatched ones, those which are not quite ready will remain quietly in their shells instead of struggling out before their time. The drawer should be closed again as soon as possible. 37 Do not feed too soon. At the time of getting out of the shell, a chick con- tains nearly all the yolk of the egg from which (with this exception) it has been formed, and it will not, therefore, require any food until the greater portion of this has been assimilated. The uselessness, therefore, of cramming young birds of any kind with food as .'J.Jt,^'' ■-' soon as they are able to stand is obvious, and a period of at least twenty-four hours should elapse before any attempt is made to thrust a meal upon them. The Chicks' First Meal. When it is considered that their appetites are established, the following com- position of hard-boiled egg and breadcrumb, or Spratt's Chicken Meal made crumbly moist with hot water, may be given them. To prepare the former, take any number of fresh eggs (or the unfertile ones rejected on the 7th day) and beat them together with their shells — put the mixture into an old saucepan or frying-pan over the fire, and add thereto a tenth of its weight of fresh lard or dripping. Stir briskly with an iron spoon or a piece of wood until the whole coagulates. Mix the resulting granular omelette with twice its weight of breadcrumbs in a large basin, and rub gently between your hands until the larger lumps disappear. This compound has not the adhesive qualities of hard-boiled egg and breadcrumb, and the presence of fat favours its disintegration. A sprinkling of bird sand or a little fine grave! may also be added to this food in about the same proportion as salt is used for culinary purposes. All birds require some gritty material to enable their gizzards to perform their functions properly, and as we have found some people trying to rear their chickens on the tiled floor of their conservatory without any sand, gravel, or like substance, we mention it in this connection that the importance of it may not be lost sight of. When this food is offered the chickens, they will generally commence to eat with avidity, but, whether they do so or not, they should be transferred to the Foster-Mother within the first twenty-four hours, and placed in the sleeping compartment, which, at the time, should be as nearly as possible at the same temperature as the drying box. This should always be done in the early part of the day, so that you may have an opportunity of seeing all day how they get on. To start an apparatus of which you have no experience at night, and then go to bed, is to court failure. Should the weather be very cold and the number of chickens small, the floor of the dormitory may fjc covered with litter to the depth of one, two, or three inches ; the chickens will be thus brought nearer to the source of heat. 38 The need for attention to Temperature in the Foster-Moth er. During the whole time or incubation you will have maintained a regular tem- perature in the egg drawer, and if the apparatus has been properly worked you will have found this very easy. It must not, however, be supposed that all care is at an end, and that by merely transferring the chickens to the Foster- Mot her to do as they like you will succeed in rearing them. Where an indoor rearer, such as the Hearson's Coal-Burning Brooder, is being used, the difficulties are negligible, but if your facilities are limited to outdoor rearing only, your great enemies are now cold and wet, and success in rearing the young brood lies between yourself and the elements. Assuming that you have provided yourself with one of our Foster-Mothers, m warm and sunny weather, with the thermometer at or over 60°, your success will be assured, but with the thermometer between 40 and 50 , considerable care is needed, and when the outside air is below this, no pains should be spared to bank up the earth and keep up the internal temperature. At night, an old sack or a piece of matting thrown over the glass run will prevent the radiation of a vast amount of heat, and if a small portion be left uncovered, sufficient light will be admitted to enable the chickens to take their morning meal before you are up. We cannot 'too strongly impress upon the amateur the absolute necessity of warmth, and no better index of what is requisite can be taken than the behaviour of the chickens themselves. If they spend most of their time moping in the sleeping compartment, it shows that the air inside the glass is too cold, or that the sleeping compartment is not hot enough to refresh them after they have been in the glass run. In such a case, rather than do things by halves and be in doubt which is required, do both — that is to say, throv/ a cloth over a part of the glass and turn the lamp a little higher. In very cold weather, the chickens will often remain in the sleeping compart- ment for an hour together, but in summer a warm-up of ten minutes or a quarter of an hour sets them on their feet again, and when the sun is shining they will bask in its rays without going into the heated chamber at all, so that the temperature of this may be lowered during the day, and increased towards the night, if economy in oil be a consideration. In hatching, an excess of heat is the bete noire of the operator ; but after the chickens leave the drying box, you need have no fear of their getting over- heated, for, as soon as they are comfortably warm, they will move towards the door or out under the glass. 39 Look to the Warmth of your Chicks and keep them active. The difference of temperature between the sleeping compartment and the glass run, when the external air is below 40°, will be considerable, unless the glass be partly covered with a mat or sacking and the doors leading to the wire run be closed ; but by takmg these precautions for the first week or ten days, the risk of their catchmg cold will be reduced to a minimum. Nevertheless, every gleam of sunshme should be taken advantage of, and if a warm mterval m an otherwise cold day should turn up, the chickens should be allowed into the wire run as long as the sunshine lasts. It is well to bear m mind that fowls are only acclimatised in this country, and that the young are, to all intents and purposes, tropical birds, requiring to be hardened off with the same care which a gardener bestows on the early plants which he has been nursing in a hothouse during the winter months. But, as we have already pointed out, if the weather be warm, and there be no chance of a frost, you may dispense with all extra precautions. To prevent them moping, and to keep them employed, suspend a piece of cooked flesh of any kind from the wire frames, so that it hangs about three or four inches from the ground. Selecting a good position for your Foster-Mother. In setting up the Foster-Mother, select, if possible, a south-west aspect, and If a sheltered spot can be found facing in that direction, so much the better, for the cry which is sometimes .raised against the east winds is not without some reason, for we have noted that the glass run is much colder when the air is stirring than during calm weather — the external air being in each case at the same temperature. The desirability of keeping fowls as much as possible on the bare ground during waking hours has been frequently pointed out in works on poultry, and this applies more particularly to chickens. From some cause, not at present satisfactorily accounted for, they nearly all get affected with a disease of the legs if kept on a wood floor, and we have found, also, that covering the floor with an inch or two of earth has not prevented the appearance of the disease. We have made several attempts to get at a reason for this leg weakness, and are inclined to think, from our experiments, that, however necessary it may be to keep their backs warm, this condition is not an absolute necessity for their feet, which may be subjected to a considerable amount of cold, not only without inconvenience, but to positive advantage, provided the ground on which they stand be dry. A puddle of water will, however, work considerable mischief in cold weather, and should be studiously avoided. 40 You will do well, therefore, when the weather compels you, to confine a young brood to the glass run, to remove one or both of the loose boards under the glass, and scatter a little short straw or hay over a portion of the surface thus exposed, so that the chickens can choose between it and the ground. It is also a good plan to strew some Spratt's " Chikko " with the litter thus provided, as the search for this will afford them great amusement. The disposition to scratch and hunt their own food begins almost as soon as they begin to peck, and the exertion which this induces is highly beneficial to them. Poultry are naturally scavengers — nothing comes amiss to them — and the same may be said of their young after the first two or three days. How to prepare Spratt's Chicken Meal and "Crissel." The earliest food for chickens should be Spratt's Chicken Meal, adding Fine " Crissel " after the first few days — ten parts of Meal to one of " Cnssel ' — the former having been mixed up into a soft crumbly mass (not sloppy) with warm water. First steam or boil the " Crissel, " and, having strained the water off, add the " Crissel " to the Meal. For the first few days the young birds should be fed very frequently, and m small quantities, on Spratt's Chicken Meal, giving Spratt's " Chikko " (a special mixture of grains, seeds and insect food) alternately. The secret of bringing chickens rapidly to perfection lies in keeping their crops well supplied with food, and to this end they may be fed every two hours during the day for the first week if they succeed in emptying the feeding troughs in the meantime. The waste of food which happens when it is thrown on the ground is entirely obviated by the use of our feeding troughs, as the wire guards prevent them from scattering what remains when their crops are full. A change of food is highly desirable from one meal to another. If they be fed constantly on one kind they are soon surfeited, and will only eat of it at night or early in the morning, when their hunger compels them to take something. In the absence of insect food, a small quantity of Spratt's " Crissel " mixed with Spratt's Chicken Meal every two or three days for the first three weeks will be found beneficial. The softer kinds of food should be given in the day-time only, and the last meal at night should be a seed mixture, such as Spratt's " Chikko," giverv dry. Some of Spratt's Chicken Meal, soaked in warm water, should be placed in the feeding troughs the last thing at night, and left under the glass, so that when they rise in the morning, which they will do as soon as daylight appears, they may have the means of satisfying their hunger. If your efforts are directed to raising winter or spring chickens, it will be necessary for you to feed them long after sundown by the light of a lamp,. 41 or the fast of the long winter night will be highly prejudicial to their health, and perhaps undermine their strength altogether. A supply of clear fresh water at frequent intervals Is also essential to their well-being. The globes and water trays should be thoroughly rinsed with clean water every time they are filled, and the latter may be scalded with boiling water once a week. At the end of three weeks. In temperate or warm weather, the chickens will be sufficiently advanced to do without artificial heat ; but to accustom them to the change, it will be well to diminish the heat in the sleeping compartment as the chickens get older, preparatory to doing away with it altogether, or to removing them to make room for a second brood. When they are considered strong enough, they may be transferred to a warm poultry house, in which you will provide them with one of our Cold Brooders. The chickens should be put into this every night until they learn to retire to it in the same way they have been used to do in the Foster-mother. The heat generated by their bodies will be sufficient to keep them warm. In the same house, and near or over this Cold Brooder, you should fix parallel perches, each ranging higher than the last as the wall is approached, so that the chickens can easily hop from one to the other. In a little time, they will roost on these, and after this they may be trusted to take care of themselves. The amateur's principal difficulty will be found in January and February, when frost and snow claim nature for their own — but a southern aspect, a sheltered position, plenty of heat, warm food occasionally, and a fair amount of attention will enable even the tyro to succeed. In about ten weeks, the cockerels should be divided from the pullets, or interminable conflicts between the former will work havoc with their plumage, besides retarding their growth. If all the cockerels be kept in one pen, their chivalry disappears, and they may be easily fattened off. As a rule, the male birds may be distinguished by their large combs ; but, where this index fails, the sex will manifest itself by the frequent challenges which will take place so long as two males remain in the same pen with the pullets. All our previous remarks apply with equal force to young turkeys, which are even more susceptible to cold and wet than chickens. Under the same treatment, but with a larger percentage of animal and green food, they will do quite as well as under their natural parents. A box containing flint grit must be available at all times. Ducklings are perhaps more easily reared than either of the foregoing. They are much more hardy, and therefore do not require so much nursing. Give them only as much water as the drinking fountains will hold two or three times a day, and a shallow tray of water every two or three days to paddle in whilst you are looking on. They grow faster, and keep in much better health by being so treated, instead of being allowed to spend the greater pwrt 42 of their time in the water, as they will do if left to themselves. After the first month, in mild weather, they may have a shallow vessel or pond of water, preferably only breast high, the margin of which must be of such a slope that they can get out of it on all sides. When caught in a shower, they appear to lose their presence of mind, and, forgetting which side to swim to, make vain efforts to get out where it is impossible. We have known ducklings a week old to be drowned in a common pie dish, not two inches deep, after a heavy shower, and on one occasion lost some in a soup plate in consequence of the side being too smooth for their feet to take hold of. A heavy shower is, therefore, to be guarded against, whilst a drizzly rain may, no doubt, be " fine weather," as the adage runs, " for young ducks." In case they get wet on the backs, or affected with cramp, to which they are very liable when in this condition, dry them off as quickly as possible. If one of them be very far gone, put it into a bath of warm water, temperature 90° to 100°, and keep the bath at that heat until the bird revives, which will be in a few minutes. If your incubator be still working, put the bird into the drying box and it will soon come round again ; but, in default of this, wrap it in flannel and put it in a warm corner by the fire. We have found ducklings of all ages treated in this way revive miraculously when life has been apparently extinct. Ducklings and chickens must be kept in separate Foster-Mothers, otherwise the chickens will get cramp from the puddles which are the delight of their web-footed comrades. Wild ducklings are still more hardy, but there is sometimes a difficulty in getting them to feed themselves. A method which almost invariably succeeds is to sprinkle the food on their backs, in which case they peck at it without any further inducement. The habit once acquired, they feed with the same avidity and on the same food as the domestic varieties. It can also be said that by putting young pheasants, or other birds which do not at once pick up their food, with chickens, they learn from the example of the chickens to feed themselves. Every day for the past forty years Hearson's Incubators have been giving a practical demonstration of their 100 % Efficiency at our WEST END SHOW-ROOMS, — 135, Regent Street, W. — Visitors will be heartily welcomed. Unique Service for e \ e r y Poultry Keeper. SPRATT'S :: :: APPLIANCE DEPARTMENT- THOUSANDS of Poultry keepers have long since solved all their prob- lems in connection with the purchase of plant and equip- ment sundries. Their solution can be summed up m " Get it from Spratt's ! " Everything that the large pro- fessional poultry breeder, or the amateur with a single pen of birds, can require to carry on in the most profitable way Spratt's Appliance Department can supply. If you only want a particular book on Poultry, provided it is in print, Spratt's will send it by return. Or — to go to the other extreme — if you want a poultry farm com- pletely equipping with poultry- houses, pens, coops, incubators, brooders, and every little sundry, Spratt's Appliance Department Will do what they have done numberless ti.mes before — render a complete specification and quo- tation for carrying out the work down to the smallest detail. Space prevents more than just a few representative articles being described and illustrated in this section, and only a slight idea of the wide range of stock carried can be gathered. It is more than likely that more than one requisite you are at present minded to buy is not shown here, and you may not be quite certain where to obtain It. This is immaterial. Spratt's Appliance Department place their extensive service at your disposal. Whether it is a small matter or a large, just write them saying what you want ; without doubt, you'll •• GET IT FROM SPRATT'S." The " Fawkham " Poultry House. For 10 to 12 Adult Birds. This House IS specially adapt- able for ex- F>osed positions. Constructed of stout yellow framing, mor- tised and tenoned together, and covered with ^-m. tongued and grooved yellow matchboards. Made in sections to fit together with bolts and nuts. Thoroughly well ventilated, fitted with canvas screens, both for the Run and Sleeping Compartments. Nest Boxes, Perches, complete. Size. — 10ft. long, 5ft. back to front, 6ft. high in front, 4ft. 9in. at back. Can be supplied (o) unpainted, (b) creosoted, (c) painted two coats best oil colour. Prices will be sent promptly on receipt of enquiry. The '* Bromley" Poultry House. For Five Adult Birds. This design of Poultry' House is specially adapted for a pen of birds. Size. — 6ft. long by 4ft. wide by 5ft. high in front by 4ft. high at back. Constructed of stout yellow framing, mortised and tenoned to- gether, and covered with t-in. yellow matchboards. Made in sections to fit together with bolts and nuts. ROOF is of tongued and grooved boards, covered with sanded felt. Interior fitted with boarded floor. Nes; Boxes, Perches, Sliding Shutter to entrance hole, and sliding wooden shut- ter to the front. Door with lock, flap at the side to facilitate col- lection of eggs. Outside wood painted one coat of best oil colour. sent promptly on receipt of enquiry. Price will be Portable Bantam House with Run (No. ;iia). This House has been specially designed for Bantams, or a few Fowls, all made in sections to fit together with bolts and nuts, inside fitted with Nest Boxes, Perches, and strong flooring. Painted three coats of best oil colour. Sizes : House— 3ft. square by 4ft. h Run — 4ft. long by 2tt. high House — 4ft. sq. by 4ft. high. Run— 6ft long by 2ft. high. Pric will 44 be iPPATTS PATENT L^." sent promptly on receipt of enquiry. S P R A T T ' S :: s: APPLIANCE DEPART MENT. Further Reports Regarding Hearson's Coal- burning Brooder Improved Portable Poultry House No. 301. Prices will be sent promptly on receipt of enquiry. We have improved upon this House by making a hinged shutter to the shelter, which can be raised or lowered as required, thus giving the birds a dry shelter and shade from the sun. The floor of the House IS raised 20 inches off the ground, inside fitted with nest boxes, perches, etc. There is a flap at the back for collecting the eggs, so as to prevent disturbing the birds. Constructed of well- seasoned deal, painted three coats best oil colour, roof made of gal- vanized corrugated iron, lined underneath with matchboards and felt placed between, made in sections to fit together with bolts and nuts. Sizes : 4ft. square by 5ft. high. 5ft. square by 6ft. high. 6ft. square by 7ft. 6in. high. Portable Poultry House. Improved design with outside nest boxes, and mount- ed on strong wrought - iron wheels, made in sections to fit to- gether with bolts and nuts, and painted three coats of the best oil colour, inside lime- whited and fitted with perches, etc. ^ ,.. Roof covered with galvanized corrugated iron, lined underneath with matchboards, and felt placed between to prevent extremes of heat and cold. Size 6ft. long by 4ft. 6in. wide by 6ft. high \ Prices _ on Size 5ft. long by 4ft. wide by 5ft. high | application. Movable Coop or Chicken Nursery, With Covered Run Size : 6ft. long. 2ft. wide, 2ft. 3in. high. Painted. Wire netting for bottom extra. No. zao. This Coop is strongly made and fitted with handles for easy removal to fresh soil, hinged door at back and front of coop. Price sent promptly on enquiry. 45 " No Trouble." Estate Office, The Haugh End, SowERBY Bridge. 28th June, 1920. The Hearson Coal - Burning Brooder I got from you a few weeks ago is quite satisfactory, and I had no trouble after getting the adjust- ing nut in position. I have about 170 chickens in the brooder shed a month old, and have lost very few, and they were weak birds which died at a few days old. Where there is a shed or mdoor accommo- dation I can strongly recommend it. I cover the floor with chaff or straw chop and let the chickens scratch for their food. J. SELWYN RAWSON. A greater Rearer. The Old House, SWAVESEY, CaMBS. 30th June, 1920. I wish I had had the Coal- Buming Brooder at the beginning of the season. I should have been able to rear several hundred more chicks than I have done. I am quite pleased with it. Have burnt ordinary coal and coke with satis- factory results. R. BARWELL. " More than Satisfied." St. Mary's Croft, Wanstead, E. 1 1 . July 4th. 1920. I am more than satisfied with the Incubator and Coal-Buming Brooder supplied to me. I have not lost one chick since using the latter. 1 have to use coke as the smoke from coal might annoy my neigh- bours. Pre-war, I tried all makes, but had great losses and infinitely greater trouble. I am using your Chicken Meal and " Chikko," and find the youngsters thrive on them P. H. CONLEY. The HEARSON COAL -BURNING BROODER— 'The Business Method' SPRATT'H :: :: APPLIANCE DEPARTMENT. September 11th. 1920. Messrs. Spratt's Patent Limited, London, E.C. 3. Dear Sirs, With reference to the Hearson Coal-Burning Brooder supplied to me early this spring, I may say that I am very highly pleased with it, and have found it to be simple, safe, and extremely satis- factory in operation. There is one pomt which I think you do not sufficiently emphasise in your advertise- ments, and that is that using one brooder to rear 500 or 1.000 chicks in a room means not only greater safety and comfort to the chicks, but greater com- fort to the operator. There is certainly no comparison between supervising one rearer in a warm room and attending to, say, ten crdinary foster-mothers in the open air on a cold, sleety mornmg in February or March. I may say that I shall require one or two more Coal-Burning Brooders early next year. 1 am convinced that yours is the Business Method of Chick Rear- ing. Yours faithfully, TOM WADE. Specialist Breeder of Pedigree Utility Poultry, Cracc House, SlLSDEN. Poultry Drinking Fountains. The " Perfection " Fountain. This fountain is of exceptionally hygienic pattern. Intended to hang 6 inches from the ground, it Is kept clear of mud and dust and from the tread, scratch and dnt of the birds' feet. Several birds can drink comfor- tably at the same time. The " perfec- tion " is made in four capacities : 2 pints, 3 pints, 4 pints and 4 quarts. Zinc Cliicken Fountain. This fountain is constructed also on hygienic principles. The outer rim Is made of a height which, while allowing easy drinking, prevents the young chicks from clambering over and contaminating the water. In two capacities : 1 pint and 2 pints. SPRATTS PATENT -= LONDON SPBATTS PATtHT 1^* The No. 101 Fountain. This type of fountain Is extremely popular, its construction allowing of very easy cleansing. It is made in seven sizes 1 pint, I pint, 1 quart, 3 pints. 2 quarts. 3 quarts and 4 quarts. White with buff top. New Galvanized No. 242 Fountain. The No. 242 Fountain Is of Improved pattern. It Is galvanized and possesses exceptional lasting qualities. Its two parts are (|ulck!y and easily separated, and thi. whole fountain can he thoroughly cleaned. The above are only a few of a very great selection types of fountains always in stock. Prices will be sent promptly upon receipt of enquiry. 46 S P R A T T ' S i: :: APPLIANCE I> E P A R T M E N T . Incubation Sundries. Hearson's Champion Testing Lantern. The special feature of this lantem is that a globe of water is introduced between the flame and the egg. This ingenious device serves the double purpose of concentrating the light and also stopping the rays of heat. Triple Diaphragm :: Egg Tester. :: With the aid of one of these egg testers three sizes of eggs can be tested. Fig. 1 shows the frame fitted with diaphragm for testing hen eggs : and 2 and 3, the extra fitments which can be substituted in the slide when pheasant or other small eggs, or goose or other large eggs are required to be tested. LPHATTS PATENTS DQD Hearson's Patent Testing Lamp. This lamp IS of an exception- ally handy and convenient type, and intended for in- cubator users on a small scale, who have only a limited number of eggs to test. Prices of these eind any other sundries will be sent promptly on enquiry. The Hearson's I ncubato r — " A ' Champion ' indeed," :: :: Sturdy Youngsters. 23, Portland Road, S. Tottenham. N. 30th June, 1920. The No. 6 Incubator I pur- chased from you has proved Itself a " Champion " indeed. I had never seen an Incubator previous to taking this one from the crate. My first attempt was with 35 eggs — result. 30 chicks. Two eggs were addled. All the chicks are sturdy youngsters and going strong. I now always use your chick feeds, and find them by far the best. W. MAY. Confidence in Hearson's. Freshfields, Falkenham. Suffolk. 1 0th July, 1920. Maior Flemmick and I are most pleased with the Hearson's In- cubator. It hatched every hatch- able egg but one, and we are expecting to do well with it next season. (Mrs.) M. E. FLEMMICK. Every Chick Strong and Healthy. Haselor Grounds, Alcester, 13th May. 1920. I bought a Hearson 60-eBg Incubator (No. 104 21960) from a neighbour in 1916, and have been most pleased with results ever since — this year more than ever. In my last two hatches 1 put in 54 eggs, and each time hatched out 48 chicks, six being unfertile. Every chick was strong and healthy. On every possible occa- sion I shall recommend the Hearson's Incubators. J. STOCK. Particulars for Export. Approximate measurements and weights of Appliances when packed in cases or crates for Export. Length. Width. Depth. Cubic feet. Nett Weight. Gross Weight. ft. in. ft. in. ft. in. lbs. lbs. INCUBATORS (in cases) No. 6. 60 Egg 2 7 2 2 2 2 12 73 145 ,. 11. 120 „ 3 6 2 11 2 7 .26i 150 277 .. 20. 240 ., 4 7 3 11 2 7 46 258 474 .. 35. Ostrich 3 5 2 11 2 3 22^ 122 264 ,. 45. 4 6 3 10 2 3 39" 224 392 .. 55. 5 9 4 4 2 5 60i 378 644 „ 65. 5 5 4 7 3 I m 448 784 FOSTER-MOTHERS (in crates) No. 3. 25 chicks 2 1\ 1 5i 2 6 s; 60 90 .. 7. 50 2 10 1 10 2 10 13i 105 155 ., 13. 100 , 3 10 2 4 3 2 28 210 285 .. 21. 200 „ 5 3 3 2i 3 9 64 476 662 „ 27. Ostrich (12 Chicks) 3 10 2 11 3 2 35 238 318 ,. 29. „ (30 „ ) packed in No. 1 5 3 3 2 3 9 62^ 187 522 packed in No. 2 5 3i 3 2 1 10 31 238 282 " CHAMPION " FOSTER-MOTHER .. 7 0 3 1 1 4 29 190 280 HEARSON'S COAL-BURNING BROODER No. 1 Stove (packed in case) 1 2 1 2 2 0 21 47 74 i-doz. Canopies (nested in crate) 4 4 3 9 2 10 33 23 280 No. 2 Stove I 3 1 3 2 3 3^ 59 100 i-doz. Canopies (nested in crate) 5 2 4 7 2 10 m 30 336 COLD BROODERS (in crates) No. 25. 25 Chicks 2 10 1 7 1 9 8 40 62 ., 50. 50 3 8 1 11 1 10 13 60 103 ,. 100. 100 5 1 2 7 2 1 27 109 175 ., 200. 200 „ 6 10 3 6 2 3 54 262 336 COL. MORGAN COLD BROODER (in crate) 3 9 2 9 2 6 26 127 175 CRAMMING MACHINES (in crates) No. I 5 8 1 11 1 4 14i 70 136 2 4 4 1 0 1 11 8 40 % DEILIVERY. The Prices quoted in our separate Current List include delivery at the Docks In London, the cases or crates indicated above. SPARE PARTS. F.ach incubator packed for export is sent out with one extra thermostatic capsule, double set of drawer thermometers, six yards of lamp wick, six lamp chimneys, and a double set of canvases for egg drawer and water tray. With each Fostcr-Mother arc sent three extra yards of lamp wick. Tli.ephones: Avenue 5170, 5171, 5172. Telegrams: Spratts. Fen. London. Ojijes used : .A. B.C. 4th and 5th Editions, and Marconi. SPRATT'S PATENT LIMITED, PROPRIETORS OF HEARSON'S INCUBATORS. :: 24/5, FENCHURCH STREET, LONDON, E.C.3. ■l/r I — University of British Columbia Library DUE DATE lii •ill- l.jJ •jam 2 8 ^^f' 'J/4W 10 Prrr u^ - • ■ ■-, ■ I^EC'ir JDM ET-6 BP 74-453 \^ T